Building Oversized Homes Created an Environmental Housing Crisis

VICE IMPACT, February 2, 2018, by Emily Weitz

A culture that prides bigger-as-better has forced small communities across the globe to a critical environmental crossroads.

"Thomas Bena was a carpenter on Martha’s Vineyard for many years before he realized he no longer believed in the work he was doing. He was building multi-thousand square foot homes for people who would barely occupy them: homes that would disrupt or destroy ecosystems, suck up energy, and cause constant light pollution. At first, it seemed like a resort town’s problem, but as he delved deeper, he realized that this problem affected cities, suburbs, and rural areas as well. A culture of consumption and excess misconstrued as the vehicle to create jobs and improve home values, when what was lost was often not weighed against what was gained. ..."